Other Interests

Boiled Yuca w/Garlic Citrus Mojo, Cuban-Style {Yuca Hervida}

11|12|12 | 2
years ago

A trip to another country is always a great vehicle for renewed inspiration, wouldn’t you say? I’ve just returned from four delicious days in México City, touring la cuidad as fast a I could with an intimate group of other gourmands. I did some extraordinary eating which invited personal conversations with chefs and diners about the history of certain dishes. I’m quite familiar with Mexican cuisine, but their place in the culinary world is rapidly becoming more haute and the sexy thing to enjoy, so I’m relishing in learning more and more about its genesis, evolution and technique. While I process everything I came across and experienced on this particular trip, I was inspired to go back to my own Cuban basics. Yuca is one of those ultra rudimentary, rustic but ubiquitous vegetables that is never turned down. Atleast en mi casa. There’s nothing spectcualar or fancy about root tuber. But, its versatility is what makes it a favorite in my kitchen.

All you need is garlic, onions, oil and lemon. There you go.

I’ve played with yuca quite a bit, but admit that I stick to the more popular recipes like this one, a simply boiled stash with a ridiculously good garlic and citrus mojo. There is absolutely no science to this recipe. It’s just really good, robust and filling. The magic of this recipe is all int the mojo. The white onions and fresh garlic, paper included, are sautéed to a perfect tenderness. Top that on your boiled yuca and saturate with fresh lemon juice. TO.DIE.FOR. No lie was ever told when talking about this! Forgo rice when you eat this dish.

The only simpler yuca recipe I could think of are chips…but you can buy those at any Latin American mercado. Blah! Oh, and fried yuca…those bad boys make it to the menu of all festive parties… check that one out.

So, the connection between Mexico and my yuca recipe? Facíl. Yuca will be on the mind as I sift through the different fine meals I had in Mexico and be the inspiration behind designing new recipes. Sensible, delicious but culinarily forward dishes where yuca is highlighted. I mean, there are hundreds of refined potato recipes, so why not this variety? Even the French, who I pull a lot of ideas from, eat manioc and have a plethora of dishes they enjoy as well. You know I’ve got plenty storyboards to create based on those two cuisines alone!

I’m looking forward the figurative juices flowing and coming up with some newness. However, this yuca dish is going nowhere fast. All things fail, this remains to be a tried, true and classic star! I think you should make it and fall in love!

I even did a super low-low budget VIDEOalmost 5 years ago demonstrating how to whip this up. Go on and laugh. I sure do every time I click on it!

Place yucca in saucepan and add water until yucca is just covered. Add salt and lime juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender—about 30 minutes.Drain and keep warm. Mash garlic cloves into salt with mortar and pestle. You may use a food processor or garlic hand-press. Add garlic, lemon and limejuice, and onions to olive oil in a separate pan. Sautee until garlic softens.Toss yucca into sauce and cook on medium heat until golden brown.

*Chef's notes: If fresh yuca root is not available in your local supermarket, you can opt to buy frozen bags which have peeled, washed and cut chunks. Flavor is not sacrificed! A fantastic alternative if working with limited time. See video for an example.

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Hi Rita. Thanks for watching the video! In Cuban fashion, we leave the peel on for texture and aesthetic. Of course, we don’t eat it, but it makes the dish so much more rustic and fun. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hope to see you back again.

Mi nombre is Bren but they call me B! I cook for cool people in my baddest pumps and leave them wanting more. I believe pressure cooking is the best thing that could have been invented & thank Mami for teaching me how to use it. My approach is to offer sexy yet accessible food. God forbid I start my day without 4 shots of Cuban espresso!

InstagramMint

Mint/Yerba Buena

Used in the Latin kitchen mostly for its medicinal properties, mint has many uses in global cuisines. In our house, we’ve always used it as a boiled “tea”for an upset stomach and indigestion. Of course, our most popular culinary use of mint is for the ubiquitous Cuban mojito! Other than that, it’s great or garnishing desserts and other cocktails. There are 18 knowns varieties of mint, according to Wiki. I know of 6. How about you?

Honey is a great natural source for reducing heat in 1st degree burns. Apply immediately.

Eggplant is related to the tabacco plant and it contains an insignificant amount of nicotine. Cooling eggplant causes it to shrivel and brown rather quickly.

Black garlic originated in Korea. It’s raw garlic that turns black when the sugars are drawn out of the garlic cloves during a special fermentation process. Most of the nutritional values in black garlic are higher & more potent than regular raw garlic.

A great way to preserve fresh ginger root is to cut it into smaller pieces and freeze. Keeping it in fridge or at room temperature will cause it to shrivel and dry faster.

The proteins in eggs are very heat sensitive and only need to be warmed to cook thoroughly. They will start to get firm at only 145 degrees. This is when a Bain Marie comes into play and is a great method for cooking egg custards.

Aging time of cheddar cheese determins the mildness and sharpness of it. The longer it ages, the sharper it gets!

Fat has 9 calories per gram. Carbs have 4, protein also has 4 and alcohol has 7. Did you know that?

Most of the fat we should consume should come from fish, nuts & veggie oils. Limit solid fats like butter, stick margarine & lard. Daily allowances for oils range from 5-7 teaspoons for adults.

Mousse is a French term meaning “froth” or “foam,” which is a rich, airy dish that can be sweet or savory, hot or cold. Fluffy desserts are due to the addition of whipped cream or beaten egg whites and fortified with gelatin!

Cherry liqueur is a a sweetened cordial using cherries. It can be used in cocktails in lieu of Brandy, especially Sangria! 1 oz of this cordial has 103 calories and 11 grams of carbs!

Did you know rose hips are the reddish-orange fruit of the rose and are used to make jellies, jams syrup, tea and vino!? They’re solid in vitamin C and can be made into a dried powder.

Convertirse (Cohn-ver-teer-seh)

Convert; to become

(verb)

Many basic Spanish words are reflexive, even though there is no obvious way in which the action ‘reflects back’ on the performer. In an earlier Spanish Word of the Day we had ponerse, meaning to become. Convertirse is another word with a similar meaning. Convertirse is generally used with a noun

Bolsa (Bowl-Sah)

Bag

(noun)

La bolsa means bag, and applies to many of the same objects as the English word.

The bag you carry your shopping in is la bolsa de la compra, and when you want to get rid of trash or garbage, you put it in la bolsa de la basura, meaning garbage bag, rubbish bag, or bin liner.

Supuesto (sue-pue-stoh)

Suppose

(adj.)

supposed, alleged

Supuesto comes from the verb suponer, to suppose. Its basic meaning is supposed or alleged:

a causa de supuestas irregularidades en el bancoon account of alleged irregularities in the bank

Trufa (tru-fa)

Truffle

(noun)

The world’s most expensive fungus, usually grown in France and hunted by pigs and recently by dogs. Used in fine cuisine all around the world.

Afición (ah-fix-see-on)

(noun)

hobby; fans, supporters

Afición is a key word, since it refers to what we like doing in our spare time, or hobbies.

Mi afición es la filatelia

Translation: My hobby is stamp collecting.

Motivo (moh-tee-voe)

(noun)

reason; motive

Motivo is one of the many Spanish words which have one meaning like their English equivalent and another which is different. It’s a very common word for the reason for something.

Dejó el puesto por motivos personales.

She left her job for personal reasons.

Cebiche (Se-bee-chay)

(noun)

raw fish marinated in lemon juice

Though cebiche now appears on the menu of upscale US and British restaurants, it is not yet as well established in English as other Spanish food words, such as tapas, and needs some explanation. The national dish of Peru, and one of which Peruvians are very proud, cebiche (also spelled ceviche) is a kind of fish or seafood salad.

Sombrero (som-bre-rro)

(noun)

hat

This Spanish word is something of a ‘false friend’. When most English speakers think of a sombrero in English they see a hat with a wide brim which is worn mainly in Mexico and Latin America. But un sombrero in Spanish is simply a common-or-garden hat. Literally it is a hat for giving shade, or sombrain Spanish. The word sombrero was borrowed by English in the 18th century.

Nocturno (nok-tour-no)

(adj.)

night; evening

Some English & Spanish words share the same Latin roots bur are used differently. While nocturnal in English is literary or technical, Spanish nocturno is the standard word referring to that happen at night.

Desarrollar (de-sa-rro-yar)

(verb)

to develop; to take place

In an earlier Spanish Word of the Day we came across desarrollar meaning to develop.